Mornings
by Turretwithaview
Summary: Caskett Mornings
1. Quiet

_**AN: 06/04/2013 - First of all I would like to thank all of you who Review, Follow or Fav this fic. It makes spending time on these stories all that more rewarding. **_

**This started as a simple oneshot with three 'Mornings': Quiet Mornings - Body Drop Mornings - Panicky Mornings. However, given the requests for more 'Mornings', I have decided to make each one an individual chapter, so for those of you who have been following this fic previously ... no, sorry, I have not suddenly written 7 new chapters ... but I hope this change will allow me to update regularly as long as the little grey cells and your interest in the stories allow. Also some minor changes have been made to the titles. **

_**Again, thanks for all the Favs, Follows and Reviews!**_

Quiet Mornings - Body Drop Mornings - Panicky Mornings - Beckett Mornings - Castle Mornings - Martha Mornings - Broken Leg Mornings - Sick Mornings - Apart Mornings - Hampton Mornings - Cabin Mornings -

**Coming up soon: (Not necessarily in this order)**

Airport Mornings - Mum, Dad & The Boys Mornings - Winter Mornings - Spring Mornings - Summer Mornings - Hurt Mornings - Angry Mornings - Make-up Mornings - Power Cut Mornings - Traffic Jam Mornings - Workmen Mornings – **(suggestions welcome, but remember, I want to try to keep it K or K+)**

* * *

**Quiet Mornings**

Its ten past nine and the cold, March-morning is a steely glare through the bedroom windows, the horizontal stripes of the curtains patterning the floor and muting the chilly tones of light on either side of the bed.

Richard Castle lies on his side looking at the figure beside him. She's still asleep, curled up against him, one hand fisted in the duvet below her chin, the other laying on the pillow under her cheek. Her hair is partially plastered over her face and he daren't push it away yet, wanting to enjoy the view a bit more before disturbing her.

Her breathing is deep, slow, a gentle flutter of the curls near her mouth betraying each exhalation of breath. He can just make out the soft shadows of her lashes against her cheeks, the smooth stretch of her forehead, but eventually he needs to see her in all her beauty, without the spider's web of pale curls presently curtaining her face.

He reaches out a finger and gently runs it down her face, gathering her hair and tucking it behind her ear. Her response is a soft moan and a delightfully childish scrunching up of her face. He holds his breath and then slowly releases it as she settles back into slumber.

He loses track of time as he just lays there in wonder, drinking in the sight of her, his mind running through all the scenarios that have led to this moment, to these quiet mornings that they can and do share, to the miracle that is Kate Beckett in his bed, or he in hers.

Her breathing changes slightly, becomes shallower, faster and he can see the movement of her eyes behind her lids as she begins to climb her way out of sleep. Her hand stops fisting the duvet and he smiles and moves his head slightly closer to hers, his eyes focused on her eyelids.

The tip of her tongue slips out of her mouth and runs along her top lip before disappearing again, she lets out a gentle sigh and still with her eyes closed mumbles a tired "_Creepy, Castle_" but the upturn of her lips belies her words.

He gives an amused chuckle and leans in to brush his lips against hers. She gives a protesting moan and buries her face in the pillow, though she does slide her hand up and over his shoulder, tugging him closer.

He waits her out, slowly running his hand up and down her back, his fingers running circles against her skin. Eventually she turns her head and looks at him from bleary eyes, a smile curving her lips "_What's the time?_"

He shrugs, not bothering to look at the clock on the nightstand "_About half nine_"

"_Hmmm_" She moves closer to him, sliding her foot between his calves and tucking her head under his chin. She kisses his neck and he feels a shiver run through his body which has her giving a throaty gurgle of laughter. "_Coffee?_" she mumbles against his chest.

He grunts and pulls back a bit from her, "_You … you are wicked Detective Beckett!_"

"_Get me a coffee and maybe you'll get lucky_" she says, her eyes still closed.

With a sigh Castle rolls away and climbs out of bed heading for the kitchen. At the door he turns to look back. His muse has flopped onto her stomach lying on the area he's just vacated. Her arms are flung out across the sheets, face buried in his pillow, the top sheet and the duvet coming only half-way up her back, showing an expanse of gorgeous skin before meeting the cascade of light chestnut hair.

"_Coffee, Castle!_" the somewhat smothered growl emitted from somewhere within the pillow has him heading out to the kitchen with a big grin spreading across his face … he loves Grizzly Bear Beckett …..


	2. Body Drop

**Body Drop Mornings**

The shrill call of her phone has her reaching out for it even before it has consciously registered. With a groan she rolls away from the warm comfort of her 'Castle Cocoon' as she thinks of it and opens an eye to glare at the offending gadget. She taps the 'Answer' button and her first attempt at "_Beckett!_" is a gravelly, unintelligible enunciation which slightly improves on the second attempt … at least it sounds more human than the strangled first attempt.

Dispatch informs her of the location of the body and the fact that the other members of her team, ME and CSU have likewise been informed. She acknowledges the information and grabs her pen and pad to note the address.

With a sigh she flops back on the bed and turns her head to look at her partner. He is looking at her from one, slightly bloodshot eye, his tousled hair pointing every which ways and the morning stubble softening the outlines of his face. "_Body?_" he asks.

"_Yes, thank heavens for small mercies … at least it's indoors_". They both lay there for a moment listening to the rain pelting against the windows, had the body been out in the open, most if not all evidence would have been washed away by now, not to mention their own discomfort of trawling the crime scene in a deluge.

Castle climbs out of bed and bends down to pick up his boxers from the floor. Kate Beckett props herself up on an elbow and releases an admiring sigh at the view he's presented her with. "_I expect payment in kind Detective!_" he says without even looking at her as he pulls them on and heads for the kitchen.

She laughs and answers with a "_Maybe if you're good Castle!_" and waits for his response … he doesn't disappoint her.

"_I'm always good Beckett!_"

"_Yes, you are Rick_" she says smilingly to herself as she gets out of bed and heads for the shower. Some five minutes later she's wrapped in a terrycloth towel, hair tied back as she applies her makeup when Castle walks into the bathroom, places the hot mug of coffee in her hand and kisses her on her temple as she gratefully takes a sip of the coffee. She watches him in the mirror as he heads into the shower, then after another sip of coffee finishes off her makeup before heading into the bedroom, coffee in hand.

She's dressed and moving back to the bathroom brushing her hair out by the time Castle has finished showering and is lathering his face up for a shave. She leans against him and plants a kiss on his shoulder, hazel eyes fixed on blue ones in the mirror. His face crinkles into a grin as he thinks of planting a kiss on her with his foam lathered face.

"_Don't even go there Castle … or it will be two bodies!_" she tells him, her own answering smile telling him that she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"_Spoilsport! Toaster is ready to just be switched on_" he adds. She nods and with another kiss on his shoulder she heads out to the kitchen. Two slices of bread are sitting ready in the toaster, the jam, syrup and butter set out on the counter. She pushes the knob on the toaster down, picks up his coffee mug, empties the dregs left in the bottom and refills both mugs with fresh coffee.

Looking across to the door she can see that he has already taken out both their raincoats and an umbrella. She smiles at the routine they have got into over the last year; how it has gone from bumbling and tripping over each other to a highly synchronised routine … except when he starts kissing her as she's getting dressed …. _then_ they always end up late!

The toaster pops up and she spreads jam for herself, pours syrup for him and is just taking a swig of coffee when he walks in from the bedroom, buttoning his cuffs. She gives him a warm smile, pushes his coffee across the counter and picking up her slice of toast, takes a bite out of it. Looking up at him from under her lashes, she curls her tongue over her lips to lick off some strawberry jam she somehow got on them and laughs out loud at the glazed look he gives her.

She loves how she can get him …


	3. Panic

**Panicky Mornings**

"_Oh my God, Castle, we've overslept ... get up, get up!_" her panicked yells startles Castle into trying to jump out of bed. In his befuddled state, his feet get entangled in the sheets and he ends up tripping and crashing to the floor. Still trying to gather his wits he looks across the bed in time to see Beckett's beautiful butt disappearing into the bathroom.

Shaking a somewhat painful wrist he manages to get to his feet, kicks the sheets away and picks up the alarm clock ... "_Oh. My. Granny!_", it's gone nine o'clock, why the hell haven't the boys called them up? He looks around for his phone and can't find it. He grabs Kate's phone and realises she has it on silence ... _shit!_

He heads for the bathroom, finds Kate brushing her teeth with one hand and wiping a flannel under her arms with the other, the look of panic on her face comically enhanced by the foam round her mouth. Castle begins to grin and then realises that might not be such a good idea, so he grabs his own toothbrush.

Moments later they are back in the bedroom, Kate desperately trying to find her jeans, pulling back the sheets, running round the bed before realising they are probably in the sitting room where Castle was getting her hot and bothered last night!

She pulls on her pants, slips into her bra, grabs a clean shirt from the closet and heads out to the lounge to find her jeans.

_Shit!_ She jumps behind a pillar and growls in frustration, desperately trying to pull on her shirt which now seems to be doing its utmost to confound her, its buttons getting caught on the lace of her underwear, the sleeve getting twisted ...

"_Is that you Kate, dear?_" Martha's voice, suffused with what can only be laughter reaches her from the kitchen.

With flushed cheeks and a feeling of being caught with her fingers in the cookie jar, Kate emerges from behind the pillar still attempting to fight her shirt into some sort of submission, offers Martha an embarrassed smile and grabs her jeans from where they are lying over the arm of the couch.

She feels she might be able to survive the situation with some small shred of dignity intact only to realise as she turns and heads back to the bedroom that her shirt-tail is caught in her pants, offering Martha a clear view of her very brief La Perla underwear.

"_Oh God!_" she groans as she re-enters the bedroom ... _well at least Alexis wasn't there to see her fall from grace_ ...

Castle, in the process of pulling on his own jeans, stops as he sees her face. "_What ...?_"

"_Don't ask!_" Growls a thoroughly frustrated Beckett as she slips on her jeans and tucks the shirt (which of course has now decided to co-operate) into them.

Grabbing a leather jacket off a hanger Kate picks up her phone, slips it into her pocket and rushes past Castle who is waiting for her by the bedroom door. She opens the safe in the study, takes out her badge, cuffs and Glock and hands them all to Castle with a curt "_Grab these a moment_".

Shutting the safe door she takes hold of Castle's arm and drags him towards the lounge whilst slipping her other arm into her jacket. Castle meanwhile, having noticed his phone on the study table is trying to pull her in the opposite direction. "_What the hell ... ?_"

"_Phone!_" he answers with a pout, pointing to his desk. By the time he's picked it up and slipped it into his pocket, Kate has her jacket on and is grabbing her things from him, striding out to the lounge as she clips the gun in place, slips her cuffs into her back pocket and clips her badge over her waistband.

"_Bye Darlings!_" Calls out a thoroughly amused Martha as they walk past the kitchen, both looking longingly at the coffee machine.

"Bye Mother"

"Bye Martha"

Martha watches the door close behind them and chuckles, she loves it when her fashion conscious son and his very smart Detective leave for work with total bed heads ...


	4. Beckett

**The Beckett Mornings**

She's been awake since seven, something unusual on her off-duty days, or she _should_ say unusual since she's been with her one and done …. and _that_ thought makes her flush … just as well he's sound asleep or he'd be wheedling that confession out of her!

She smiles at that thought and pushes her hair over her shoulder, feels it flutter and settle behind her as, propped up on her elbow she looks down at him. A barely audible sigh escapes her lips, her mind going back in time … yep, even a year ago, lying in bed at nearly eight o'clock in the morning would have been anathema, she just couldn't have kept still, or to be truthful, she would have felt guilty about the wasted time, the lost opportunities of tracking down her demons.

Now …. now she was just content to sappily lay in bed watching her partner as the spring sunshine streaming through the windows, traced patterns of light and shade across his face, chest and arms, creating delightful secret pockets of darkness and highlighting contours and features. She never tired of this game of hers, the sun, her accomplice, slowly moving across the sky brought the valleys and crests of his body to life, one moment hiding some small feature and seemingly moments later unveiling it anew.

She also had to admit that his occasional snores, moving eyebrows and twitching nose caused her silent laughter to bubble up inside her. He apparently lived his dreams with the same intensity he lived his life, and she was so, so thankful to have been dragged, kicking and screaming into his world.

Kate leant forward a little and ran her finger along the seam of his lips, quietly chuckling as his mouth opened and his pouting lips tried to catch her fingertip. Even in sleep he seemed to be totally aware of her, her presence, her needs. She no longer choked up each time she realised this … or at least not every time … but it still brought a rush of emotion, a welling of warmth that made her heart flutter and her breath catch.

She stroked the back of her fingers across his brow, softly sweeping his hair back and then ran her finger tips through it and down to his ear, her index finger now lightly tracing his jawline back to his chin. He moved his head slightly, as if chasing her hand, but still showed no sign of waking up. A slow smile spread across her face and had Castle been awake he would have recognised the hint of devilishness that that turned her eyes from hazel to mottled emerald green.

Carefully she eased away from him, slipped out of bed and went in search of the necessaire she kept her makeup in. Carefully crawling back into bed, the zipper already open she quietly sorted through its contents and pulled out a stick of Ruby Woo lipstick. Uncapping it and twisting it open, she leant forwards again and carefully rolled it around the end of his nose till she was satisfied with the clown nose effect. Capping the lipstick she replaced it and searched for her light moisture tint and squeezed some onto her finger, then, keeping her touch light and slow, rubbed it all around his eyes and mouth. She had to stop several times to let him settle down again, but eventually the light tint was giving her the desired effect.

She was already finding it hard to stop the laughter bursting out, but with a mental '_Come on, Kate, you can do this_', she just about managed to. Finally she pulled out a Lady Danger lipstick which she had been holding back for a special Castle occasion … and what could be more special that this she grinned. As she applied the gloss to his lips and ran it far out on either cheek adding some smiley curves at each end, her stomach muscles were beginning to hurt from holding the laughter in.

With a final glance of approval at her handiwork, she leant over, picked up her phone and snapped a picture of her own personal Castle Clown. Placing the necessaire out of sight on the floor by the bed, she turned back to her partner and shook him awake. She had to make sure he didn't burry his face in the pillow and mess it and her work up, but eventually he was awake enough to give her his patented, goofy, 'come-hither' look.

"_Uh-hu, no Rick, morning breath … _" she denied his questing lips and pushing him away " _… go get brushed and then come back to me_". With a pout he rolled out of bed and headed for the bathroom whilst she tried desperately to hold the laughter in.

There was a sudden girly squeal from the bathroom followed by a roaring "_KATHERINE BECKETT!_"


	5. Castle

**The Castle Mornings**

He's as nervy as a teenager, his body tingling in expectation and his breathing short and shallow. It's their six month anniversary …. six months and Kate Beckett has still not shot him! Wow!

He desperately wants to wake her up, shower her with kisses and presents, but he knows he needs to give her time; time to come to, time to get used to his childlike enthusiasm.

Body drops, Kate can handle those easy-peasy from a dead sleep; an excitable Rick Castle is likely to end up kicked out of bed in a best-case scenario …. laying on one of Lanie's tables in a worst-case one, and after the week they'd had at the precinct, he wouldn't want to lay odds against the worse-case one taking place.

He eases out of the bed, and heads for the bathroom, closing the door gently behind him. He decides a shave and a brushing of teeth might gain him some favour with his sleepy-headed muse …. _Hey! She hasn't called me out on that one in some time! I'll have to remind her of her threat _… he'd called her muse a number of times and was still walking around, both legs intact!

Opening the door quietly he re-entered the bedroom and stopped to stare in wonder. He still found it unbelievable and couldn't help the goofy smile plastered on his face. She was in the middle of the bed … _must have moved over when I was in the bathroom_ … arms tucked in on either side as if about to push herself up off the bed. Her shoulders protruded from underneath the sheet, tangled chestnut hair cascading over them and hiding most of her face from view.

He moved back to his side of the bed and gently squeezed himself in, stopping when he heard a disgruntled huff escaping from somewhere within the thick pile of curls … she was letting her hair grow long and he loved it …. loved playing with it when they sat comfortably squashed together on the couch, loved washing it when they shared the shower … and he could keep his hands off other parts of her, loved having her back propped against his knees as he brushed it out, running the brush through her locks as she leaned back and sighed in pleasure.

He tried wedging himself in a bit more, his butt uncomfortably on the edge of the mattress, only his left foot braced against the floor keeping him from falling out ass first. A groan accompanied her half roll as her hand reached out for him, and he was quick to move in to the vacated space. It wasn't much and the cool spring air was chilling his butt and giving him, he was sure, most unmanly goose bumps, but at least he was now in a less precarious position and Kate was trying to crawl onto him which meant he could shimmy even further inwards and warm his bum in bed.

"_Hey, handsome, where you been?_" she asked him in a sultry voice.

"_You forgot the ruggedly in there, beautiful_" he answered, kissing her on the tip of her nose.

"_Your tooshie's cold_" she complained, running her hands down his sides

"_But the rest of me is hot!_" he waggled his eyebrows suggestively at her.

"_Ugh!_" She groaned and dropped her head on his chest "_Too early Castle_"

He placed his hands on either side of her face, pushing her hair away and then pulling her gently upwards reaching for her lips, she willingly moved to meet his and he could feel her smiling as they kissed slowly and deeply. When she pulled away, she just lay atop him, feet entwined, head raised, hazel-green eyes looking deeply into warm blue ones.

His eyes widened as he suddenly remembered and stopped her questioning mouth by laying his finger across her lips. Turning his head he managed to open the top draw of his night stand with his other hand and after fishing around a bit, felt his fingers close round what he was looking for. Pulling it out he kept his hand around it and looked at Kate. She still had her lips pressed up against his finger … or maybe it was the other way round … and that, along with her raised eyebrow gave her a very fish-faced look, he almost burst out laughing but then thought better of it and smothered it in a cough.

By now her eyebrows were going up and down at a rate of knots and she was beginning to get her Beckett Glare stoked up. Removing his finger from her lip … just in time it would appear … he placed what he was holding in his other hand on his chest and moved his hand away "_Happy six-month anniversary Detective …_"

Kate looked down at the blue box he'd uncovered on his chest. It sat there, six inches from her chin. She looked up at Castle's face, then back down to the box. It was flat, about six inches long and three wide. Ok, so she could breathe again … _unless he's accidentally steamrolled the ring, it can't be that_ … propping her forearms on his chest she took hold of the box and flipped the lid open.

Castle watched her as the click of the raised lid revealed the contents of the box. Her eyes widened slightly then scrunched up into a beautiful smile … at least he hoped it was a smile; from his horizontal position the box's lid covered the lower part of her face … maybe she was getting ready to ninja-assassinate him ….

"_It's beautiful Rick!_" she said in delight, lifting it out of the box and turning it in her hand. "_Thankyou!_"

Letting out the breath he had been unaware he was holding, he lifted the box from his chest and dropped it back in the still open draw. He lay there admiring his muse who in turn was admiring his present. It wasn't one of his extravagant gestures, which could so piss her off, but he was pleased with it none the less. The book marker was shaped like a quill pen, the vane and barbs made from thin brass, the quill tip in enamelled blue. Engraved along the vane was the phrase "_To my one and only muse_".

He watched her as she raised herself up, placed the marker inside its box and pulled herself up till her face was right above his. "_Mr Castle that was a truly beautiful six-month anniversary present … I wonder what I can give you in exchange …_"

From the darkening green eyes that were slowly coming closer, he reckoned he was going to get the better present ….


	6. Martha

**The Martha Mornings**

Martha woke up and squinted at the light attempting to squeeze its way past the heavy curtains. Most would have considered it pretty gloomy in the room, but after a night with a bunch of Broadway friends and acquaintances celebrating Archie Underwood's sixty-ninth birthday, anything brighter than a coal pit was pre-ordained to induce brain trauma and excessive squinting.

With a groan she rolled over onto her side and peered at the clock on her night stand. _God! Why don't they make the damned numbers big enough to read without binoculars!_ With a sigh she reached out and pulled it closer to her. _12:23 … well she might as well return to the land of the living, even if she did feel like an imposter_.

With a groan she pushed the comforter back and sat up, sliding her feet into a pair of bright pink slippers. She snagged her dressing gown from the end of the bed and slipped it on before heading to the bathroom; _I might feel like a wreck, but kiddo, there's no need to look like one! Ugh! Did I go to bed without removing my makeup? Well …who cares, the pillow aint going to tell! _

Face washed and hair brush through and Martha was beginning to feel more like her usual self. _Now I just need a glass of orange juice with a little added kick_.

As she approached her bedroom door she suddenly paused _What is today? Satu… no it must be Sunday today … unless the world passed us by during the party … which come to think about it, might have happened, because when Marty started doing his impersonation of Gypsy Rose Lee things did get a bit out of hand …. and a bit blurred … mind you that could have been when his shirt landed on my head … anyway where was I? Oh yes, so if today is Sunday … then that probably means Richard and Kate are in … and however cute her underwear is, I don't really need reminding that my butt was always a bit … a bit on slim side. I guess I'd better make sure they know I'm heading down, just in case._

As she opened the door, a smile crossed her face when she thought of Kate's embarrassed looks whenever she and Richard were caught making out, which unfortunately for Kate was with rather embarrassing frequency. _Mind you, a stint in the theatre and she wouldn't think twice about flashing her underwear at strangers … oh! I'd better not say that out loud or they'll have that delightful Javi Esposito round to arrest _me … _uhm maybe I should go with that!_

She closed the door with rather a loud bang, waited a bit and then headed towards the stairs. If those two were unaware of her approach then they needed hearing aids! Halfway down the stairs she could see Kate curled up on the couch, a book in her lap and a cup of coffee in her hand. She looked up at Martha's approach and smiled at her.

"_Hi Martha, good fun last night?_"

"_Kiddo, best time since … oh I don't know, last Tuesday?_" she answered waving her hands in the air as she headed for the fridge, "_But don't ask me for any details, they are either too hazy or unfit for youthful ears!_"

"_I take it Richard is around somewhere?_" she enquired as she ducked behind the fridge door in search of some orange juice.

"_He's working on a chapter outline in the study_"

"_All work and no play ….. no, maybe I should rephrase that when you're here_" Martha said as she poured half a glass of juice, her laughing blue eyes sparkling as Kate's face flushed bright red "_Oh darling, it's cute, really … I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist it, and you should know by now that the Rodg … Castle home is a "walk right into it"' one …. If one's not careful, one will!_"

The juice was topped up with a decent amount of Vodka from the freezer and with a theatrical wave Martha headed for the stairs, leaving a thoroughly embarrassed and laughing Kate in her wake.


	7. Broken Leg

**Broken Leg Mornings**

Kate wakes to something poking her just below her thigh and groans as she turns over. She hisses in pain as the object of her discomfort digs deeper into her leg. Opening her eyes she finds she's half-way down the bed with the toe-end of Castle's cast digging into her just above the knee.

Propping herself up on her elbow she peers round to try and discover how the hell she ended up with her feet poking out the bottom of the bed and her head resting about where her butt should have been.

A noise half-way between a snore and a snort has her looking up at Castle, his shoulders partially propped up by a bank of pillows …. Huh! Must be where hers ended up …. eyes tightly closed and hair falling over his brow …. Ok, so maybe he looks cute, but right now she needs a coffee, and an explanation and the guy with the pneumatic drill in her head to leave her alone ….. although somewhere in the mists of morning memory is some vague recollection of the Kama Sutra as applied to participants with immobilised extremities .… and that still doesn't explain what she's doing with _her_ butt halfway out the bed and _Castles_ boxers hanging from the lamp on his nightstand. Ugh! What the hell did they drink last night?

She can't even be bothered to try and make it out the side of the bed, so she just shuffles backwards until her knees fall off the bed and land (painfully) on the floor. She's also managed to drag the duvet with her, revealing Castle's chest which appears to have been notched … _huh?_ ….. she squints her eyes and tries focusing them …. four vertical and a diagonal slash plus two more verticals …. _oookkeeeyy …. that's seven …. seven what for god's sake?_

Her eyes widen …. _No way!_ …. no way could they have done it seven times …. she'd need crutches to move ….. yeah, ok, there might be a pair of crutches somewhere in the room, but she didn't need them right now … though maybe she should use one to wallop the drummer who had taken over from the drill guy in her head.

So what were those notches? .… oh what the hell … they'll probably still be there when she recovers from her coma ….. unless she can make it to the coffee machine before the drill guy and the drummer decide who's in charge.

She manages to push herself up onto her feet, the duvet folding over her like a shroud and tipping her world into darkness. She staggers a bit before managing to pull it off her and watches it pool around her feet. Castle is now revealed in all his glory and her eyes widen even more when she notices another ten 'notches' on his cast. Uh-huh ... she is _not_ going there .… not unless they were selling little piggies at the market …. Duh! Where did that come from? …. Oh god! she just needs caffeine …

Kate staggers to the bedroom door and pulls it open. A sudden gust of chilly air meets her and looking down at herself she realises she is completely naked …. It's not the only thing she notices …. Or to be more precise certain parts of her have noticed the chill and right now she could hang the bedroom curtains on them …. Castle would have a great time pla…. Focus Kate! … bathrobe …. right …. Rick's, in the bathroom …. and who invited the tap dancer to join the drummer and the drill guy …. ooohh …. She was soooo going to kill Castle as soon as she could point a gun without shooting her own foot off ….

Right the bathrobe …. It's so big she could hold a barn dance in it … well, at least she'll polish the floor on the way to the kitchen …. _Oh thank heavens for that, a coffee machine_ …. _Now please be good and give me my ….. I said give me my …. Eeeeh! I hate you! …. Oh, just a minute, didn't put any water in, did I?_ ….

_Finally, oh glorious coffee …. And would you guys stop up there! I can't hear myself think …. Just a minute, am I talking to the drummer or the drill guy? …. Come to think about it, did I check to see if Castle was alive or not? …. Oh, yeah, he snorted didn't he? …. Unless it was a death rattle, maybe I should check it out …. And would you guys cut it out already?!_

Back in the bedroom she's approaching the bed on Castle's side when her foot strikes something which rolls away with a tinkling sound …. "oww!" …. Looking down she notices something poking out from underneath the bed. She bends down … and grabs onto the bed as the room suddenly takes off and does a loop the loop …. _Whoa! …. Maybe not such a good idea to bend down quickly …. Easy Kate, bring the bedroom in to land and put the brakes on … uff! That's better_ …

Holding up the object she'd found, some of the fog lifts from her brain …. _Oh, right … Tequila … that's right_ …. after the Kama Sutra they'd gone onto tequila shots, minus the lemon and the salt … _that explains the notches_ … they were keeping track of the shots …. Oh wow, no wonder she feels like a piñata at the tail end of the party …


	8. Sick

**Sick Mornings**

He wakes to her shivering against him. He's lying on his side, spooned against her, one arm over her waist and his hand up near her chest. _Her_ hands are tucked inside his and he can feel the coldness of her fingertips. She hadn't been feeling well when they landed in bed after a long day chasing leads in pouring rain and chilly New York winds. She'd taken some Tylenol as soon as they'd got home, but it looks like she's not going to be going in to work today …. and he _isn't_ going to back down on that.

He raises himself on his elbow so he can lean over her shoulder to get a look at her face. He tries moving his hand up to check her temperature but she groans and her fingers grab at his hand. He leans down and brushes a kiss against her shoulder "_You awake?_"

"_Hmmm_" comes her reply, followed by "_cold_".

"_I know, that's why I need to do a couple of things, like phone in to let them know you won't be in today. You also need to get some fluids into you if you want to be back at work anytime soon_"

She turns within his arms, wincing in pain and tries giving him a Beckett glare "_Since when do you tell me when I can or can't go to work?_" she growls at him … well at least she tries growling, but neither the glare nor the growl are anywhere near Beckett standards and he just smiles at her.

He leans down to plant a kiss on her forehead, taking the opportunity to gauge her temperature. She's running a fever he reckons though he doesn't really need to guess; one look at her face and he knows she's not going anywhere for at least the next twenty-four hours.

Looking down at her he tries desperately to smother a laugh. Here is Detective Katherine Beckett, kick-ass cop, survivor of exploding bombs, shootings, open heart surgery, freezing, a beating and being thrown off a rooftop to name just a few near-death instances, moaning because of a dose of flu …. If she wasn't so cute he _would_ laugh. But he won't. Just because her nose is all red, her eyes puffed and she's lying there pouting …. he really needs a picture of this; the guys at the precinct would love it.

On the other hand, he doesn't want to be shot out of hand and he has no doubt that if he were to take a picture of her right now she would probably pull her gun out from under the pillow and drill him right between the eyes … or somewhere else even more painful.

Noooo ….. so he will put his sense of fun and mischief away for now and make sure his little Kate the Red Nosed Cop is looked after as befits her. Not to mention that the glare she is now directing his way probably means he has been grinning at her for much too long now.

He pulls away from her and she resignedly rolls back over onto her side, pulling the duvet up over her head. _Oh boy … am I going to have a sulky Kate? That's a new one!_ …. He gets up and goes to the bathroom to grab his bathrobe whilst texting Espo to let him know the situation. He'll call Gates later, once he has a bit more information to argue with, should the need arise.

He finds the old thermometer in the bathroom cabinet (the new digital one must be up in Alexis' room he thinks), slips it into the pocket of the bathrobe along with the Tylenol and wets a washcloth in cold water before wringing it out. Back in the bedroom he pulls at the duvet and gets an answering groan of protest and a clutching at the cover, but he insists and she allows him to uncover her head. Carefully he places the damp cloth on her forehead and she gives him a grateful sigh, her hands coming up to pull his down between hers.

"_Ok Kate, we can cuddle in a moment, but first I need to take your temperature, ok?_"

She gives him a pathetically weak look of disgust and reluctantly opens her mouth for him to pop the thermometer in. "_Good job it's not a rectal one_" he comments, and then bites his knuckles at the look she throws his way. For a moment he thinks she's going to spit it out right in his face. He waits a bit, lightly patting the washcloth over her brow and round her neck. Eventually he removes the thermometer and checks. He shows it to her and she closes her eyes in resignation.

"_Sore throat?_" he asks. She shakes her head.

"_Headache, body ache?_"

She nods.

"_Both, or one or the other?_" he insists.

"_Body_" she grunts.

"Nausea?"

She shakes her head.

"_Ok, well I already know you've got chills, and I know you're fatigued or I'd be dead by now, so give me a few moments to get things ready and I'll be back to cuddle you, ok?_"

She just nods and pulls the duvet back up to her chin before closing her eyes. The washcloth falls onto the pillow so he picks it up and places it on the nightstand next to the thermometer before getting to his feet and heading for the kitchen.

He phones the precinct and asks to be put through to the Captain. Once she's on the line he informs her of Kate's current status as well as the fact that Esposito and Ryan have been informed and claim they can cover for her. Agreeing to keep her informed if there should be any changes to Kate's condition, he thankfully hangs up. One obstacle met and successfully negotiated … now just the biggest one to deal with … Beckett herself.

Whilst getting himself a coffee he pulls a bottle of water and an isotonic drink from the fridge and briefly runs both under the warm water to remove the chill. Since when did they have isotonic drinks in their fridge? .… must be Kate's, it certainly wasn't a Castle thing …. Just as well though. He pours it into a glass and makes himself some toast whilst he finishes his coffee. He'd really love some pancakes but he doesn't want to spend too much time away from his patient and the toast is quickly eaten.

Carrying the glass and the bottle of water he heads back to the bedroom and places both on the nightstand, fishes out the Tylenol, sits down on the bed next to her and pours out a dose into the cup. Helping her to sit up, he passes it to her and watches her take it before passing her the glass of isotonic drink.

"_Now get this down you so you can fight the little beggars_".

She glares at him "_I'm not a two year-old!_"

"_Well then, stop behaving like one!_"

With a huff she swallows the drink and hands him the empty glass.

"_Would you like some tea? Soup? A T-bone steak? Your gun?_" he asks her. She shakes her head and gives a little laugh at the last one, so he helps her settle back down before refilling her glass with water.

"_Be back in a minute, love_" he says and heads into the study. He's soon back, laptop in hand and climbs into bed beside her, back propped up against the headboard. As soon as he's settled she rolls over and cuddles right up to him, wrapping her arms round his waist and laying her head in his lap, closing her eyes as a sigh escapes her lips.

He looks down at her, running his hand through her hair and forgets all about the laptop …. _This is much better!_ ….


	9. Apart

**Apart Mornings**

They're not used to this anymore. At the beginning yes, they'd spent nights apart, alternating these with passionate encounters either at his loft or at hers, but recently? No, they hadn't really slept apart in months (unless you counted the night they'd had a fight and she had stormed off in the middle of some incredible sex, leaving them both unsatisfied and totally pissed off), or the two nights he'd had to spend in Chicago at the book signing, or the night she'd stayed on the case and just didn't have the energy left to make it to the loft and had bunked down in the precinct.

No, apart from those nights, he didn't think they'd been apart for the last three months …. and he just misses her so much! It's not just the lovemaking … well in fact it _is_ the lovemaking … but not just the physical side of it …. It's all those _other_ ways they make love, their '_eye sex_' as the boys call it when they want to rib them …. the casual, unconscious brushing together of hands which sends sparks between them … god! How come they hadn't combusted yet? … the fun bumping of shoulders …. the smiles which told the other exactly what was going on in their minds …. the moment before climbing out of the car at the scene of the crime; a kind of silent, mutual pact of protection .…

His thoughts are interrupted by the chime of his phone and he doesn't need to look to know who it is. He reaches for it with a smile already on his face and hits the _New Message_ button.

_'Hey rugsome, u awake?'_

He sits up in bed, pulls the pillows behind his back and texts back '_Rugsome?_'

'_1 guess_'

'_edly hand_' he texts back.

He gets a smiley in reply

'_Want to talk?_'

His phone rings and the picture he took of her rolling her eyes flashes up on the screen. He sighs in pleasure and settles back against the pillows.

Kate toes her shoes off, and flops back on the bed …. It's not as comfortable as her own … and nowhere as comfortable as Rick's, but she's had to come to Quantico for a meeting with Jordan Shaw and her team. A murder fitting the MO of Jerry Tyson, the 3XK has taken place in Ohio and Jordan wanted to go over everything Kate knew about Tyson. Kate also has the feeling that Shaw wants her to join her team for the case …. she hasn't said so outright, but Kate is reading between the lines ….. and she's feeling unsettled about it … she isn't ready yet to admit that Tyson frightens her, but he had come so close to killing Castle twice already and she is terrified that any new link between her and Tyson would put Rick back in danger ….. so she needs to hear his voice, the reassurance that he is ok …. and maybe missing her a little bit …. she bites her lip and then releases it when she hears his voice.

_"Hey Detective"_

_"Hey you …. missed me?" _

_"Always"_

She laughs "_That word is getting overused Castle!_"

"_But it's so true … and says it all so succinctly Kate_"

"_I know_" she sighs longingly "_I so wish I hadn't had to come down here …. It feels strange without you and the boys around_"

"_How long do you think you'll be there for?_"

"_I'm not sure …. another day at least …. but ….._ " she broke off.

"_But what Kate?_"

"_I'm not sure, I get the feeling Jordan wants me in on this case_ …."

"_And how do you feel about that?_"

"_I … I'm not …. I … want him caught, if it __is__ him … I want him out of our lives, I want __you__ safe ... but I don't think I can do it without you and the boys …. I know it sounds silly, but somehow, having you and them around makes me believe that everything will be alright in the end_ …"

_"It's not silly Kate, it's what teams are there for and it's what makes a team tick. You've been fighting the bad guys on your own for so long that you've lost sight of that. Now, you've got us … you no longer have to do it alone … and if you need it, we'll be on the next flight down there!"_

She gives a shaky laugh. "_God Castle, what's happened to me? Where has my kick-ass self gone?_"

"_She's right there inside of you Kate, trust me. I see her every day …. She just doesn't need to be constantly in control of you anymore!_"

_"You make it all sound so simple"_

"_It is Kate, it is. But enough of that, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Are you looking after yourself? Did you eat anything?_"

This time it's a heartfelt laugh that escapes her throat. "_Yes Papa Rick, I stopped off at the cafeteria here and had some pasta_"

_"Was it as good as mine?"_

_"Nothing is as good as yours Rick!" _

"_Oooh Detective ….. that is soooo not nice of you when I can't even kiss you to prove it!_"

She giggled, "_I think I'll tell Agent Shaw that I have some pressing business in New York that I have to get back to!_"

"_You do that Kate. I think you need to get some sleep now love, assuming you've got an early start tomorrow. I don't imagine Agent Shaw hangs around?_"

"_No she doesn't ….. thanks Rick_"

"_What for?_"

"_Everything_"

_"You're welcome Kate. Sleep tight Detective … love you"_

_"Back at you Rick"_

She ends the call and lays there staring at the phone …. boy, is she tired …. she'll just close her eyes a moment before getting ready for bed ….


	10. Hamptons

**Hampton Mornings**

He wakes up to find her side of the bed empty. He's no longer worried these days when that happens …. or at least not too worried; especially here in the Hamptons. He's got to know her foibles, her tells, and he knows she's in a good place right now. So he climbs out of bed, pulls out a sweatshirt and pants from the closet, slips into a pair of canvas shoes and grabs a spare blanket from one of the shelves.

He gets downstairs and finds one of the sliding doors out to the deck slightly ajar. Slipping out, he walks across to the edge of the grass and looks along the beach. The sky is a dark, pre-dawn grey, a paleness hanging over the horizon promising the arrival of a new day. Objects are still two dimensional darker masses against the dreary backdrop of the sky but he thinks he sees her down by the dunes.

He trudges towards her, listening to the quiet shuffle of the lapping sea against the sand; the eternal symphony of this and many other shorelines. He's still a few feet from her when she raises her hand towards him, he's unsure if she heard him approaching or was simply aware of his presence …. they both have this uncanny sense of each other's proximity.

Reaching her he squats at her back, taking her outstretched hand and kissing her knuckles. Only then does she turn her head to look at him, a half-amused, half-apologetic look on her face. "_Did I wake you?_"

"_No, your absence did_" leaning forward he kisses her cheek, "_I brought a blanket_"

"_Sweet, Castle, thanks, I … I, just woke and … and needed to see the sunrise_ …"

"_Can I watch it with you?_" he smilingly askes, running his fingers through her hair and massaging the back of her head.

"_Always_" is her simple answer as she rises to her feet to allow him to spread the blanket. The sand is cold and she is only now aware that her backside is feeling both chilled and damp. Trust Rick to turn up with the solution.

She waits for him to sit near the front of the blanket leaving her enough space between his legs to settle down against him before he pulls the other edge of the blanket up over his shoulders and wraps it around them. She nestles in against him as his arms enfold her from behind and seal her into his lovely, warm cocoon. With a sigh, she tucks her head against his neck and feels him brush a kiss against her temple. She sighs in contentment thinking how like Castle to come looking for her at the crack of dawn.

He feels her settle back against him and they both gaze over the sea, the expanse of sky above them already beginning to turn a paler shade of grey, the horizon still cloaked in darkness. Like a slow motion scene, the sky above them lightens, acquiring a pinkish tone close to the waterline.

The first trace of the sun appears inches above the horizon, poking out from between the distant clouds, the pinkie-orange glow which also begins to colour the clouds, painting the grey sky a washy white. As the sun rises higher in the sky the sea takes on the colour of beaten bronze, the yellow-orange sphere pushing clouds and darkness away.

A flock of seagulls mew their way across the sky, dark silhouettes against the golden background which now has, at its centre, a bright orb of light, the first faint traces of its path leading from the distant horizon all the way to the lapping shore at their feet.

The burnished bronze of sea and sky take on the paler colour of molten gold, the sun's reflected path now much brighter, pointing the way to the distant, clearly defined, joining of sea and sky.

With a sigh, Kate turns her head and kisses his chin. She twists her body slightly and runs her hand up the side of his face, traces his eyebrows then holds his jaw and pulls him down for a long, slow kiss.

"_Take me to bed Castle?_"

He grins down at her, his heart beating as if wanting to escape the confines of his chest. He helps her up, throws the blanket over his shoulder and sweeps her up in his arms. She is not going to get out of this one easily …


	11. Cabin

**Cabin Mornings**

It's the buzzing that pulls her out of sleep. Not the expected buzzing of her phone … no, it's not that …. It's a much more persistent, annoying buzz which comes and goes, intensifies and fades … it's not till she feels the uncomfortable tickle on her cheek that her eyes pop open and she's swatting at a fly that's been bothering her since she began to surface.

She swats at it again and it buzzes off angrily and must settle somewhere because there is the sudden bliss of silence. She lies there, somewhere between sleeping and awakening, enjoying the view in front of her. A warm spring sun is shining through the window, the red curtains on either side lending a surreal glow to the edges. The leaves and branches of the trees outside are moving to their own, secret rhythm, sparrows hopping from one ….. Eeh! .. Sparrows! … Trees! .…

She sits up suddenly …. oh, yeah, of course, they'd driven up to her father's cabin late yesterday. That's where they are. She looks round and sees Castle flat on his stomach next to her … well, she can see he's there, though his head is buried under the pillow.

Suddenly the fly is back, buzzing around her and she swipes at it, vigorously shaking her head as it circles her …. It buzzes off … silence …. then like an avenging hornet it zooms in at her, swerves away …. and settles on Castle's shoulder.

She looks at it. It just sits there above his shoulder blade, running its antenna between its front feet … or legs .. or whatever. She doesn't like flies …. she doesn't know why …. after all, they don't do anything …. other than eat shit …. and land on you ….. with shitty feet …. which they then wipe on their antennae. No, she doesn't like flies.

She slowly moves away and looks down at the floor by the bed. There is a nice throw rug there …. Mexican she thinks …. doesn't know why she thinks that …. there aren't any Mariachi singers … never mind. Her slippers are there. She leans down and picks one up. Slowly she sits back up and turns back to Castle …. and the fly …. it's still there …. wiping shit over its face now … she wonders if it is watching her …. maybe with all that shit over its eyeballs it can't see her … she knows they have compound eyeballs … she remembers that from school … it's like they have a built-in slow-mo cam …. so if she's going to sort him … maybe it's her? …. out, she needs to be quick about it … she wonders what he … she … it , is thinking as it sits there wiping shit over its face … maybe she should just use the Glock … no, she hasn't got it with her … its back in the loft …. maybe she should pretend not to be looki … WHACK!

Everything happens at once. The fly scoots away fractions of a second before the slipper lands.

Castle, shocked out of deep sleep by the whack on his back gives a bellow and startles up, his head shooting up, the pillow flying off to the side.

Castle's head hits the shelf above the bedhead holding a selection of books Jim Beckett considered appropriate reading material for weekend and holiday perusal.

The shelf tips off the hooks that have faithfully held it in place for the last decade or so just as a startled and "_oouuching_" Castle flops back down on the bed rubbing a hand over the bump he's just acquired on the back of his noggin.

The pillow meanwhile, happily sailing off Castle's head, hits the wrought iron night lamp that Jim Beckett had acquired from a local blacksmith and sets it rocking on the nightstand.

The Encyclopaedia Of Law And Procedure Nº25, weighing in at somewhere close to Mike Tyson's top weight and happily ensconced on its shelf for the last eight years or so, collecting dust and rubbing shoulders with Tomes nºs 24 and 26 of the same family, takes careful aim, and with the help of Newton's Law of Gravity (to be found on page 135 of the Encyclopaedia of Science, still precariously wobbling on the end of the shelf) lands on Castle's head, some two inches away from the previous point of encounter with the aforementioned shelf.

A barely emitted "Oooowww!" gets buried under the combined assaults of Tomes 24 and 26 who, not to be outdone by Nº25 make a dual impact landing on Castles back, with the Encyclopaedia of Science joining in for good measure.

The added effect of books, torch, candlestick et all cascading off the tipping shelf add to the already uncertain wobble of the wrought iron bedside lamp which chooses that moment to complete an elegant arabesque twist and topples over to hit Castle on the other shoulder.

For a moment, it seems as though things might come to a standstill, however, the wooden shelf, freed of books and accoutrements decides it's time to have some fun and topples off its supports to land with a loud thud across the piles of books, lamps, torches, matches, etc. already accumulated over Castles frozen body.

Slowly, it seems to Beckett, the dust begins to settle …. the books and object shift into their assigned spots and come to a stop …. Castle's muffled groan emanates from somewhere within the pileup … Beckett, hand held up to her mouth, eyes wide in shock .… is suddenly distracted by a buzzing fly …..


	12. Mum, Dad, & The Boys

**Mum, Dad & The Boys Mornings**

Beckett yawns and rubs her eyes. God! She needs a shower ….. and some sleep, and about a gallon of coffee …. Ok, maybe she'll hold the coffee till she's had the sleep …. or the other way round. A big yawn pulls her mouth apart, her eyes closing and she stretches into it, pushing her arms above her head, trying to work the kinks out of her back.

"_Nice view_" says a quiet voice somewhere to her right. She pauses, arms still at full stretch and squints sideways through one partially open eye. Castle is slouched down in the old, scratched armchair, legs stretched out in front of him, a twenty-four hour stubble and a lecherous look on his face as he stares at her pushed out chest. Still without lowering her arms, Kate looks down at herself and notices that the middle button of her shirt has popped and her red lace bra is showing more than the Dress Code – NYPD would deem appropriate when not working for Vice.

Rolling her eyes at him, she slowly lowers her arms, and looking at him from under her lashes, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth, she slowly moves her hands up to the buttons of her shirt front. His eyes widen and his adams apple bobs as he watches her. Slowly, she takes hold of the popped button .… and quickly buttons it up, stifling a gurgle of laughter at his disappointed look.

"_How long have you been awake?_" she asks in a low voice.

"_About half an hour_"

"_Why didn't you say anything?_"

"_You looked so cute, watching the monitor, chewing you lip and trying to keep awake. I didn't want to disturb you_" he answers just as quietly.

She stands up, runs her hands through her hair and moves over to where Rick is still stretched out. She waits for him to pull himself up into the armchair and sits down on his lap, carding her fingers through his hair and giving him a kiss on the corner of his mouth, she reckons they both probably have morning breath and doesn't want to take it further.

"_You know you could have gone home anytime right, had a good night's sleep?_"

"_And miss my first stakeout …. you're joking right?_"

She looks at him silently for a moment, considering whether to call him out on that or not. She knows the stakeout isn't the reason, at least not the main one. He just wants to be with her … and that's cute, even if it totally unnecessary. She rests her brow against his and sighs, then pulls back and jerks her head at the sofa against the back wall of the room.

"_You think Tweedledum and Tweedledee over there would let anything happen to me?_"

He snorts … then grins. "_Have you seen them?_"

She furrows her brow and gives him a hard stare …. he just looks back at her trying rather unsuccessfully to smother his glee.

She decides to check it out and pushes herself out of his lap, turning to the back of the room she hears him get up behind her and follow as she heads over to the darkened corner where the boys had settled down on the couch for some shuteye after she and Castle had relieved them in the early hours.

She turns on the table lamp, trying to make sure the light doesn't disturb the two sleeping cops. She has to hold in a startled burst of laughter as she looks at them. She turns to Castle and he's got a gleeful expression on his face, he's almost bouncing on his feet in anticipation.

Holding her hand across her mouth she drags him by the shirt to the front of the room and always the professional, checks the monitor before turning back to him. "_Did you do that? When?_"

"_When I came out of the bathroom, you know, after you'd settled down in front of the laptop, I came out, you had the headphones on and were concentrating on the recordings. They were both flat out and I couldn't resist it …. and it's not the only …. uh …. adjustment I made …._ "

"_What else did you do Castle?_" she whispers threateningly.

"_Oh you'll like it .. watch!_"

He leads her back to the couch and they both admire the scene for a moment. Ryan, propped up in the corner of the couch has his head thrown back, a gentle snore keeping rhythm with his breathing. Lying next to him, his head resting on Ryan's chest is Esposito, his deeper snores adding balance to the symphony. Ryan's right hand is lying in his lap whilst Espo's left sits next to it. Both wrists are handcuffed together.

Ryan has a pair of glasses painted round his eyes in black marker pen and Espo has similarly acquired sideburns … but only on the visible side.

"_Did you take a pic?_" she asks.

"_Uh-hum_" he nods in assent.

"_You know they'll get you back right_"

"_Who says I'm going to admit to doing it?_"

She looks at him aghast "_You'd blame me?!_" still whispering.

"_Well look at the number of times they've got me … its payback time!_"

"_Just as long as you don't come looking for me to protect you!_"

He pouts at her … which has her grinning and nudging his arm "_Well, you going to wake them?_"

"_Yeah! And you'll love this_"

Pulling out his phone he calls up his contacts list and finding Ryan's number presses dial. Ryan's phone, sitting on the table next to the sleeping Detectives begins to vibrate then suddenly …..

'_The Boys are back in Town_' theme blares out full blast startling both men into wide eyed awareness. It isn't the only startling ….

Ryan, finding Espo's face about six inches from his own let out a startled yelp.

Esposito waking to find himself resting on Ryan's chest and almost in his lap tries to jump back as he emits an astonished "_Bro!_"

Pulling back, their still cuffed wrists jerks Ryan forward onto him which has both cops madly pushing each other away in an attempt to get adequate 'man' space between them.

This results in Espo's ass slipping off the edge of the couch and landing on the floor which in turn pulls Ryan down on to the floor with him.

By this time, the two are wide awake enough for Espo to realise that Ryan isn't wearing glasses and for Ryan to realise that Esposito looks lopsided because he only has sideburns on one side of his face, … and that they are handcuffed together ….

Two baleful glares are directed towards their boss and her partner who are clutching each other as helpless gales of laughter has tears running down their cheeks …..


	13. Airport Mornings

**Airport Mornings (maybe T rating for "warmth" ... not too sure)  
**

They were stuck at the Airport. Not just stuck, but _stuck,_ stuck. They flew in Friday evening for the weekend; _he_ was supposed to do a book signing session at the CN Tower on Saturday morning and another at the _Book Mark_ store on Sunday morning, whilst _she_ was going to visit the Distillery District and Yorkville. The rest of the time he and Kate were going to enjoy the sights and sounds if the city … yeah, right!

Things worked out alright until they landed at Toronto's Pearson Airport. Then things started going downhill from there. Not that it was the airport's fault … or Toronto's for that matter … no, no, it was all down to Helen!

Helen had decided that they should spend the next two days sitting at the airport, able neither to head in to the city nor head back home.

Helen was one hell of a bitch …. not only a bitch, but a conniving, unpredictable, mind-changing bitch …. she had started off by screwing up communications …. which meant the limo service didn't get the reservation confirmation through from head office to the chauffeur who was supposed to pick them up. Not only had she screwed up communications with the limo service, she's also screwed up the hotel's schedule. The result; most of the guests couldn't leave, and they couldn't get in. Yep, Helen was one hell of a bitch!

Well, to be truthful, she was one hell of a blizzard; the eighth one of the year, and the one _they_ had to choose to play with.

Keith, the pilot had asked whether they wanted to risk landing or head back to New York and try to beat the bitch …. well he hadn't used that word exactly … he had called her _the weather front_ …. weather front, his ass! Having made it all the way here they had decided on trying their luck in the hope that she would move on and let them get on with their weekend. Yeah, right!

With the plane grounded, Rick had made it to the main Airport building and enquired about booking a business class flight with the only thought of making use of the VIP lounge. One look at the crowd who had already had the same thought and he had quickly decided against it, opting instead to see if they could stay on board the Lear jet in relative comfort and privacy.

Making his way back to the private charter area of the airport had been a feat … his arrival looking like a cross between a yeti and a Popsicle had Kate hiding her laughter behind her hand as he stood in the hangar shaking himself like some St. Bernard after a rescue operation.

Keith had said that he could not authorise their staying on board but he was quite happy if head office would allow it. A few calls later accompanied by the necessary financial settlement and Rick and Kate had the use of the jet until conditions allowed its departure.

Being the discreet pilot of a discreet charter company used to dealing with VIPs and Celebrities with a capital 'C', Keith had removed his overnight bag and 'street' clothes into the mechanic's office within the hanger where a bunk bed, the minimal bathroom, internet access and decent coffee machine offered him better amenities than the cramped cockpit of the plane.

So here he was at … Rick looked at his watch … five, fifty-three in the morning, lying on the reclining seat with his feet on the opposite one and his legs supported by their stacked luggage and a folded blanket. Flat out on top of him, her hair cascading across his chest and shoulders lay a sleeping Kate, her mouth partly open, a gentle huffing sound emitting each time she breathed out. They were both dressed in the most comfortable clothes they had been able to dig out of their cases; he in a pair of jeans, t-shirt and sweatshirt, Kate in his baggy sweatpants, one of his t-shirts and her own roll-neck sweater and wrapped up in three company blankets, looking like a writer/cop sausage roll.

The closed hangar doors shook to the onslaught of wind, snow and ice particles, only the insulated luxury cabin and the minimal heating running off the ground battery that the jet was plugged into was keeping them comfortably warm.

He was also beginning to feel like the dough after a session with the rolling pin. Kate was light, but several hours of lying on a flight seat, however comfy and luxurious it might be, with his Detective scrunched up on top of him were beginning to remind him that he was no longer a twenty year-old …. In fact, his back and bum were telling him he was closer to an eighty year-old.

He tried shifting slightly without disturbing his sleeping companion, but her instinctive clutch at the sweatshirt where her hand rested on his chest and the protesting mumble from her hidden mouth stopped him with a grimace.

Ok, he could take this for a bit longer. His hand moved round from her waist to the small of her back, pulling her gently closer to him and starting a soothing caress which soon had her breathing evenly again. He smiled, this was something that he couldn't have even dreamed of when he first started following her … well, ok, he could have dreamt it, but he would never have believed it!

Whether his slight shift from earlier had eased the discomfort, or he had simply been unable to remain awake he was unsure, but it was three hours later when he awoke to voices outside the jet. Looking down at the tousle-headed woman lying on top of him, he became aware of the hazel eyes regarding him with humour.

"_Well sleepy-head_ …?"

He spluttered in denial "_Sleepy-head! Look who's talking! The Snoring Detective strikes again!_"

"_I do not snore!_" answered his muse, pinching his waist for good measure as she slid her hand up under his clothes.

"_Ouch!_" he squirmed and Kate giggled as their hips came together and she felt his morning salute as he called it.

"_Hmmm _.." she hummed as she let her knees drop either side of his thighs and straddled him, "_you the pilot with the handy joystick?_"

"_Will you stop it woman!_" he said in a half-strangled whisper, _"… the guys out there could walk in any moment!_"

She pulled herself up till she could take his lip between her teeth and pulled on it "_Never stopped you before flyboy_ …" her hand slipping down to the flies of his jeans and a dirty grin on her face at the double entendre.

"_I am not only Writer__man__ I am also Fly__Man__ … no boy anywhere in sight!_" he added with a petulant pout.

By now she had worked his pants half way down his hips and all she could manage as she felt the heat building in her was a muffled "_Prove it!_"

Backache and uncomfortable seats and too hard luggage leg rests went out the cabin window, metaphorically speaking, as Castle's hands slid Kate's pants down as far as they would go in their present confined positions and slid back up to her ass before grabbing her and pulling her up onto him.

All he could hope for was that the jet was too big to rock to their movements and that the soundproofing was top quality, otherwise there were going to be some red faces around when they climbed down to the hanger to stretch their legs … not that the soundproofing could be that good, after all they had heard the guys outsi… all coherent thought left the writer's brain in the ensuing moments …


End file.
